"John, can I date your daughter after this is all over?"
John stared at the younger man, puzzled.
"You're not dating?" John said.
"We're friends," Don said.
"I thought you were after she turned twenty." John admitted.
"I have fairly strict rules about dating people younger than me," Don said.
"Your ass better be in the Alpha Centauri system when you date her."
"Oh, it will be!" Don said. "Just need to file the appropriate paperwork when the right warp drive comes around."
"Speaking of the warp drive," John said. "I think the paperwork will be minimal if we get some kind of mass colonist agreement deal done with them."
"With them?" Don asked lifting a brow. "After everything humanity has done to them? Enslaved a member, tortured one of them, and used their own engine?"
"Rodney, B-9, and Robot seem to think that we are worth forgiving for our actions." John said. "The next colony ferry will be better than the Resolute."
"Larger, longer, and approved of." Don said with a nod. "One big happy united people who got each other's back."
John nodded back with a grin.
"Maureen, we have searched everywhere." Harris returned to the tunnel with her hands on her hips very annoyed and the group had grown smaller in the passing hours as they had each gone to their respective crafts to be ready for the plan. "Where is the life form?"
"This way." Maureen said.
"Is there a reason why you're bringing John and Judy?" Harris asked.
"I like to see the look on your face when we get there, June." John said.
"To make sure no one gets badly," Judy said.
"And, you do have a history of leaving one of us behind when you find danger and tell no one of it." John reminded.
"Little mistakes of the past." Harris replied with a thinly worn smile.
John looked up noticing the alien shuttle following above.
"Your security team is tailing you."
"They do that on a daily basis, John. Nothing big. They normally are around me when aboard their craft."
"Normally." John said.
"Uh huh." Harris replied.
"If you make a fast one then you won't make it to your ship." Maureen said.
"Threat?" Harris asked. "Your family would be killed for that if you acted upon it."
"I find trouble in that." Maureen said. "As I wouldn't be acting upon it."
Harris fell silent as she followed after the duo through the forest for several hours at a time. B-9 tailed behind her, Harris noticed, whenever she turned around toward the machine it was cackling electricity at her direction with a pause in his tracks. She hadn't seen a machine that seemed so basic and simple to be that angry. His anger radiated off him. She hadn't seen a machine that could have easily been made by humans be acting so human. Anger radiated off his chassis. Most AI's, androids, and robots were all small.
Harris would tear her attention off then toward the area in front of her. She noticed the trenches that had been carved into the land by the land beam above from the mammoth craft that hovered over the ground floor blanketing the sky in a sea of darkness. Maureen and John came to a halt in their tracks as she went on looking around. She turned away from the vast tunnel of trenches and turned back toward the couple then frowned and folded her arms.
"There is nothing here." Harris said.
"Look underneath you." John said.
Harris looked down spotting grass.
"Um hm, there is grass." Harris raised her attention up. "I don't need to be reminded of that. I am well aware."
Maureen tossed a shovel into her hand.
"Dig."
Harris scowled then looked up toward Maureen.
"Why?"
"Just dig."
"Not even going to give me a hint?"
"We were kind to you and you betrayed us in one of the worst ways possible. This is where we stop helping you and you help yourself."
Harris rolled her eyes then proceeded to dig into the dirt. She continued digging over and over until there was a large beside her and it was starting to get dark. Finally, Harris paused then looked over toward the couple drinking apple juice leaning against a tree. She took out her weapon then aimed at them. In a single blast, the weapon was shot out of her grip then she turned in the direction of the source. A strange machine climbed down the trees then destroyed the device with a single blast.
"Rodney, don't kill!" John ordered.
Rodney lowered their figure then shifted toward the couple and back toward Harris.
"We need her to get off this planet alive." Maureen said.
"Where is the life form?" Harris asked, turning toward the couple. "You know, I don't have all day."
John approached the older woman.
"You're are standing right on him." John said. "That is where his pod is."
Harris frowned then looked down then alongside her and back toward John.
"Clever." Harris said.
"We are not that advanced," John said. "Reason why youre people is digging trenches is to find the one section of land that won't budge."
"They missed a section." Maureen noted in mirth.
Harris turned away from them then spoke into a communicator.
"The life form is right here, Patrol Ship 65." Harris said.
A loud shriek came over the line that was distinguishable.
"They will be retrieving the life form in a few moments." Harris turned away facing the couple. "Would you like a ride to the Jupiter 2?"
"Like that." Maureen said. "I expect you left your spacesuit back where it belongs."
"Right where it belongs." Harris said. "Back in the past. A relic of what had once been and will never exist. Of what does not live to love another day."
John's features darkened but was stopped halfway by Maureen with her hand and a warning glare.
"How long does it take to get to the ship?" Maureen asked.
"Thirty-five minutes." Harris said.
"I will see you in forty, Professor Robinson." John said.
"Let's just hope that Rodney doesn't fall unconscious because of the g-force, soldier Robinson." Maureen said as she wiggled a finger from side to side with a teasing smile. "I will see, you. . . soon."
The group walked away from the plot of land then watched as the ground was struck then the pod lifted into the air.
Rodney fled from the scene then John sprinted after the creature as the pod slowly was laser beamed away from the land.